Chapter 7: My Mother’s Confession
My mother stood near the back of the ballroom.
She wore a simple lavender dress.
Her gray-streaked brown hair was pinned neatly behind her head.
She looked exhausted.
And frightened.
“Mom?”
I whispered.
She stepped forward.
Victoria stared at her.
“Eleanor.”
My entire body went cold.
Eleanor?
My mother’s name was Margaret Bennett.
At least, that’s what I’d believed for twenty-nine years.
Mom slowly removed her glasses.
“Hello, Victoria.”
The two women stared at each other.
No one spoke.
Then Mom turned toward me.
“Emma, sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”
My throat tightened.
“Sorry for what?”
She reached for my hands.
“Because I haven’t told you the truth about my life.”
I pulled away.
“What truth?”
She looked around the ballroom.
“My name wasn’t always Margaret Bennett.”
Her voice trembled.
“I was born Eleanor Vale.”
The room erupted.
Adrian stared at her.
Mercer covered his mouth.
Victoria staggered toward her chair.
My mother continued.
“Twenty-four years ago, I discovered that Victoria and her husband had been secretly transferring company assets into private accounts.”
I could barely breathe.
“I confronted them.”
Mom’s eyes filled with tears.
“The next morning, someone tampered with my car.”
Gasps swept through the room.
“I survived the crash,” she whispered.
“But the people responsible believed I was dead.”
I stared at her.
“Why didn’t you go to the police?”
“I tried.”
She looked toward Mercer.
“The first officer I spoke to disappeared from the investigation.
My attorney warned me that someone powerful was monitoring my accounts and communications.”
Mercer lowered his head.
“I was that attorney.”
Mom nodded.
“He helped me disappear.”
I felt dizzy.
“My father?”
She closed her eyes.
“Robert knew everything.
He helped me start over in Brooklyn.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“And when you were born, we promised ourselves you’d never grow up surrounded by the people who tried to kill me.”
I began crying.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Mom stepped closer.
“Because I thought keeping you away from them would keep you safe.”
She looked at Victoria.
“I never imagined you would fall in love with her son.”
